The Prince and the Potter
by meira16
Summary: James and Sirius don't get off to a great start in first year. The horrified professors think that nothing can result in more magical shrapnel than a James vs. Sirius prank war, but an unholy alliance might be even worse...
1. Chapter 1

A/N

Obviously, none of the characters are mine.

For the record, I am usually a fan of sticking to canon, and I am aware that canonically James and Sirius were friends from the start. But I found little Sirius in DH pretty unconvincing. At the end of the day, he grew up in the epicenter of pureblood supremacy – I find it hard to believe that he sat up at age ten and thought, "Wow, my mom is batshit crazy; I think I want to be a Gryffindor." Overall, I just got the impression that Jo wrote him like that because the real story was about Snape and Lily, and she wanted to set the stage for maximum animosity in record time. But if one wanted to focus on Sirius as his own character, one would have to admit that he must have undergone some radical change of views at some point, and Grimmauld Place seems like an unlikely sort of place to have a major epiphany of liberality.

Anyway, little James has gotten such bad coverage since the Order of the Phoenix that I just had to write a more sympathetic version. I'd like to think that he was a basically nice kid who happened to end up as a jock and wasn't sufficiently well-grounded to deal with it with much grace.

* * *

"Good luck, James. Don't be afraid." Mrs Potter tried to smooth down the errant black hair to no avail. Her heart clenched at the thought of her beloved only son leaving to go to school. "You can write every day, and you'll be home for Christmas."

"I'll be OK, Mom." James squirmed under the attention and seemed desperate to prove that he could cope, but he did feel a little nervous. He might wish to be a brave boy, but he was still only eleven, and he would miss his comfortable home.

He looked around, trying to see if there was anyone he might befriend. He had always been popular, but perhaps school would be different. He was not sure what attributes were considered a big deal at Hogwarts.

His gaze fell upon a slender boy with light brown hair and milky skin. His father looked distracted and was not buzzing with excitement as Mr Potter was. His robes looked worn and were clearly second-hand, and his trunk was far smaller than average. His mother was nowhere to be seen.

James noticed all this and prepared to look away; he pitied the other boy, but the image he created was rather unprepossessing. But something else struck him, and he regarded him again in a new light. The boy's back was quite straight, and his amber eyes were clear and unabashed. He clearly felt no shame at his rather obvious disadvantages. James was a perceptive boy and he somehow sensed that this was neither an act of bravado nor a display of ignorance; this child simply knew his situation and had accepted it.

James had always admired bravery; his room was plastered with posters of Quidditch players performing perilous moves. But for the first time he understood that there was another, quieter sort of courage that had nothing to do with danger or heroism. He was filled with admiration for this display of confidence.

Suddenly his nervousness evaporated. He would be like the pale boy and show courage in being who he was. He approached him while his mother fussed again with his trunk.

"Hi. I'm James Potter. Are you a first year too?"

"Hello. I'm Remus Lupin. Yes, I'm also starting this year." His voice was soft but quite steady.

"Are you nervous? I am – I've never left home before, but my dad said I'll have a super time. I can't wait to be Sorted and see ghosts and learn spells and …" His voice trailed off as he realized he was babbling with excitement, which was very uncool. But he felt better when he saw the small spark of enthusiasm mirrored in Remus's eyes.

"Yes, it is really wonderful. I never thought I'd be able to go to Hogwarts."

James looked at his new friend quizzically. "I thought all witches and wizards were accepted to Hogwarts automatically?"

Though it should hardly have been possible, Remus went a shade paler. "I am sometimes ill and it might have made it difficult for me to go away to school. But I hope that I will be fine." His speech was unusually precise for a child of eleven.

James was about to inquire about Remus's illness – he was almost never ill himself and found it quite interesting. But his father's voice interrupted him. "James, come over here and help me with your trunk."

Mr Potter was an exceptionally kind father. But he was also known for being very stubborn, and one of the things that he insisted on without fail was that James always attempted everything himself. James was to learn to be a man, and that meant making an effort. Once he had done so, his father was happy to spend any amount of time or money to help him. So now, though he was a young, strong man and could easily lift James's trunk himself, he called over his son to help him.

"I have to go help my father." James could not suppress the note of pride in his voice as he excused himself from Remus. "I'll see you on the train?"

Remus nodded and James hurried away. Once his trunk was safely stowed away, he returned to the platform to see his mother again. As he approached her, he noticed Remus gamely tugging along his trunk bit by bit – if it were not so small he would not have managed at all. His father ignored his struggles, staring vaguely into the distance. James ran over. "Can I help you?"

Remus looked taken aback, but smiled and pointed out the other handle. Together, they lifted the trunk into James's compartment. Looking out the window, James saw the most enormous trunk he could imagine being carried across the platform by four house-elves, who looked rather exhausted. They were being directed by a tall, handsome woman who shrieked every time they stumbled. The boy who followed her had long black hair and was ignoring the whole scene completely. He caught James's eyes and smiled slightly. A moment later, James saw the man who laid a hand on his shoulder, who surely must be the long-haired boy's father. He recognized him instantly and gasped. That was Mr Black, with whom James's father had had many arguments. He had been to their home, and James had been shocked to hear his father raise his voice. Afterward, he had sat his son down and explained that there were some wizards who believed things that could hurt other people. One of those beliefs that was very common was that Muggle-borns were not as good as other wizards, and Mr Black was someone who believed that and had a large influence in the magical community. He had told James that the time would come when he would have to decide whether he truly cared about others or not - James was not sure he totally understood this, but he had been filled with pride at his father's faith in him. He turned away to Remus.

"Is your mum working? Is that why she is not here?" he asked, eager to know more about his new friend.

"No" Remus answered. "She left my father and me a few years ago and I have not seen her in a long time." His soft voice was matter-of-fact, but there was a fleeting shade of sadness in his deep eyes.

"I'm sorry" muttered James, looking at his feet. He felt rather confused – he did not understand this boy, who seemed to have nothing and yet seemed so placid and content.

"Don't be" replied Remus. "It's not your fault. Do you want to play a game?" He too seemed keen to lighten the mood.

"I have Exploding Snap in my bag, but I want to go say goodbye to my parents first. Are you coming too?"

The two boys climbed back to the platform, but Remus's father had already gone. He followed James over to the Potters and watched their affectionate farewell. James introduced him to his parents. They looked surprised, but shook his hand kindly and wished him a pleasant term.


	2. Chapter 2

As they returned to the train, James refrained from asking what had happened to Remus's father; he understood that it might hurt Remus as the mention of his mother had. As they had settled, the parade of house-elves he had seen earlier entered the compartment, and their mistress stuck her head in.

"Who are you?" she asked James, sneering at Remus's scrappy robes. Her son slipped into the compartment. He had large grey eyes and was tall for a boy of eleven, but surely an older boy would not be getting onto the train with his mother?

James introduced himself and Remus. At the mention of "Potter", the woman stiffened and waved the elves out.

"But we've been to every compartment, Mother. Surely just for the train ride…" The tall boy looked irritated.

"No. If we cannot find a place, you will go sit with Narcissa."

"I cannot sit with the third-year girls!" he snapped, his voice rising. James let out a snicker. He knew it was not nice, but it was almost involuntary. Remus gave a tiny smile.

The Black boy's eyes narrowed. "Never mind, Mother. I think there is another coach. Let's go."

He stalked out, his eyes flashing in anger. James shrugged off the guilty feeling in his stomach and pulled out the Exploding Snap box.

"How do you play?" Remus asked politely. James stared at him.

"Are you Muggle-born?" he enquired, eager to hear more.

"No. I have not played much with other kids; I have heard of the game, but have never played."

James was surprised, but thought that maybe Remus lived in an isolated area. His father did not look like the sort of man who had many friends.

An hour later, Remus had mastered the game and was doing well. The ice was broken and the boys chattered happily. Remus seemed reluctant to talk about himself, but he laughed at James's stories and asked many questions. He was an avid Quidditch fan, though he had never played himself. It seemed to James that Remus had done none of the things that he had taken for granted as a part of his childhood, but he was intelligent and good-natured despite that.

Next they moved onto magic, and James was slightly overawed to discover that Remus was clever. He knew many spells and was a mine of magical trivia. James's parents had often suggested that he start studying during the holiday, but he had avoided the proffered lessons and run outside to fly. On the rare occasions that his father had forced him to learn something, he had mastered things quickly and easily, and he had been confident that he would do well at school. Now he felt slight remorse that he had not advanced as much as Remus had, but he quashed the feeling and remembered that he would catch up quickly at school with Remus's help. Besides, he was eleven. There was more to life than studying.

As the train neared Scotland, the boys pressed their noses to the window and wondered about the future. Suddenly, the door to their compartment opened and the Black boy peered inside. "Can we come in?"

James was silent, willing the boy to go away, but Remus spoke up. "Of course. There is plenty of space. Please forgive us for laughing at you earlier."

"I wasn't asking you. I don't even know who you are, and I don't much care." The boy's tone had no real nastiness in it; he simply disregarded Remus and focused his laughing grey eyes on James. "You're Potter, aren't you? You may not recognize me, but I have seen you many times at Wizarding events, though we have never spoken. I am Sirius Black."

James felt his temper rising. His parents had warned him about reining it in, but this boy was a severe trial. "No, I don't know you. But if you speak to Remus like that, I don't care much for you. Besides, hadn't you better listen to your mother and go sit somewhere more suitable?"

Ignoring James's response, the boy swept in, followed by a most unlikely companion – a fat, wispy-haired boy with pimples and an unexpressive face, who introduced himself as Peter Pettigrew in a tiny voice. They sat themselves opposite James and Remus, looking quite at home.

"What do you want?"

"To get to know you. My mother can be rather fussy about my friends, but you don't seem a bad sort."

James felt drawn in almost involuntarily by Sirius's charming smile. "Why are you so rude to Remus?"

"Isn't it obvious? He's a Mudblood." Sirius considered the matter settled. "I haven't heard of him, and my father knows everyone, so obviously he's not one of us. Why would I want to speak to that sort of trash?"

"I'm not a Muggle-born." Remus's voice was low and distrustful.

"He's not!" James jumped in. "He's been very ill and has not been out much, so that's why you don't know him!"

Sirius regarded Remus with a new interest. "Really? That's OK then."

James stood up firmly, thinking of his father and all he had taught him. "That's not the point. I don't want anyone who is that rude to Muggles as a friend, so get out!"

Sirius leaped to his feet, eyes blazing. "Oh, you're that sort, are you? A blood traitor! That's far worse than a Mudblood, because you could be so much better and you've chosen to betray the wizarding world!" He threw a punch at James.

James had good reflexes and ducked easily, but he lost his temper at Sirius's words. Soon the two boys were locked in a whirl of violence on the floor.

Suddenly James's arms snapped to his side and he fell away from Sirius, who had also gone stiff. He could only move his eyes, which fell upon Remus, who was holding his wand – the thin boy had put a Body-Bind curse on both of them.

"I am sorry. I don't want you to get in trouble." Remus turned to Peter, who still had not said a word. "Please take your friend away – I will not remove his curse myself."

Peter dragged Sirius away, panting under his weight. Remus muttered the counter-curse, and James climbed to his feet, glaring at him. "Why did you do that? I thought you were my friend!"

"Of course I am. That's why I did it. If you were caught fighting you would be punished."

"So? I would have just told them that he started it. Besides, now Sirius thinks I am a coward."

"That is not important, James. What another stupid child thinks is not important. But getting into trouble will hurt your future and disappoint your parents. You should be better than Sirius and not take his bait."

"You're lecturing. You sound like my mother."

Remus made a face. "I am sorry. I never meant to insult you. I was worried."

"It's OK, Remus. But you have to understand, I'm not here just to make my parents happy. I'm going to have fun!"

* * *

They finally reached Hogwarts – it was just as James's parents had described. He felt a bit seasick as they crossed the lake – his mother had told him many stories of the giant squid and he kept looking over his shoulder, expecting to see a tentacle snaking behind him. Remus, meanwhile, was staring at the senior students' carriages with a rather queasy expression, but he declined to comment on what he found so horrifying.

They made their way into the Great Hall, overwhelmed by the beautiful sky overhead. They formed an alphabetical line to be Sorted. James was nervous – he knew that his father very much wanted him to follow in his footsteps as a Gryffindor. As a P, he was near the back. Sirius Black's friend Peter was right in front of him.

James had fun guessing what house people would be sorted into based on their looks and names. But he was given a rude shock early in the Sorting. As they had entered the school, Sirius had told everyone in a lofty voice that the Blacks had all been in Slytherin since Hogwarts had been founded; he claimed that one of his ancestors had been Salazar Slytherin's closest friend. So James's jaw dropped dramatically when Sirius was Sorted into Gryffindor.

However surprised James was, he had nothing on Sirius himself. The tall boy turned white and his eyes darted around the hall. There was an uproar from the Slytherin table until Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet and stared them into silence. He glanced at Sirius, who composed himself and made his way over to the Gryffindor table. The Hall calmed down and the Sorting continued.

James was thrilled when Remus was Sorted into Gryffindor. He was rather surprised when Peter was too – the boy seemed so unremarkable and was surely better suited to Hufflepuff. When his own turn came, he proudly put on the Hat, confident of his own destination. He was not disappointed; a flash of scarlet and gold passed over his eyes, and he walked over to the table where his father had sat before him. Remus waved him over to an empty spot. As he sat down, he froze awkwardly – Sirius Black was sitting directly in front of him. The two boys regarded each other warily for a few moments and then turned away to their various friends.

They were interrupted by the sound of a girl clearing her throat. It was obvious in her inflection that the girl expected everyone in earshot, possibly everyone in the room, to stop and listen to her. Sirius's eyes widened and James spun around to see who had so scared him.

The girl he faced was much older, maybe seventeen, and very tall. But the resemblance could not be missed. She had the same long black hair and elegant bone structure as Sirius, and she had that same air of being in total control of her surroundings. She wore well-tailored Slytherin robes and a harsh, displeased look.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Sirius?" she demanded. "We were all so excited for you to join us, and now you have disgraced the family. What have you done?"

James cast his eyes around, eager to focus on anything other than the angry girl's tirade. Beside her stood another girl with the same features and matching robes, though her hair and eyes were a dark brown and she was an inch or so shorter. She did not seem likely to congratulate Sirius on his Sorting either, but she looked more disappointed than furious.

The girl, who James assumed to be Sirius's older sister, was still listing the faults of a Gryffindor and the punishments Sirius would face when he returned home, and demanding to know what he had been doing that had led to this. The second girl put her hand on her sister's shoulder to calm her, but was shrugged off angrily. Sirius cringed on the bench. James was tempted to smirk, but suddenly felt a rush of anger at the unfairness of this Slytherin.

"Hey, shut up!" he said loudly. The girl's head snapped towards him. Her eyes were dark grey, almost black, with heavy lids. She looked like a cat ready to pounce.

"You should be proud of your brother! Gryffindor is a great house and I'm glad he is with us. I'm sure he'll be happier in Gryffindor than in Slytherin with a nasty snot like you." James did not stop to think whether he meant these words, but he hated seeing the proud Sirius so shamed.

"My brother?" the girl laughed. "You need to study your genealogy a little more carefully, Potter. If you would take a little more pride in the purity of your blood and in the blood of those with whom you mix, you would know that Sirius is my little cousin, that he is heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and that every Black has been in Slytherin since Hogwarts was founded. You would also know that I am Bellatrix Black and that this is my sister Andromeda. You would know that I am a prefect and the top student in the seventh year. And, finally, you would know that I take enough pride in my blood to give you detention for addressing me in that manner. Please see Professor McGonagall after dinner."

She walked away in a swish of green. Andromeda followed with a regretful glance at her cousin.

Sirius stared at James, his face a mixture of gratitude, anger, suspicion and confusion. Eventually he turned back to Peter and continued their discussion.

After the meal, a prefect instructed all the first years to follow him.

"I am supposed to see Professor McGonagall after dinner about a detention. Should I do that now or later?"

"Detention already, kid? That must be a record!" James looked slightly abashed, but shrugged it off. He was not ashamed, although he was not sure Sirius was worth the effort.

"Go along then; McGonagall will bring you up later. She's the tall one with the square glasses."

Feeling rather small, James approached the tough-looking witch, who looked tired and irritable.

"Professor McGonagall?"

"Potter, is it? You should be going to your dorm with a prefect, not hanging around as if your mother is about to come and take care of you!"

"I know, but I was told to come here – I was given detention…" James was not used to feeling guilty, but it did seem to be a little soon to be in trouble within his first couple of hours at Hogwarts.

"Good grief, Potter! How on earth did you manage that? I did not even think there were any rules that you could break this soon."

"Sorry, Professor, but I was rude to Miss Black and I did not realize she was a prefect…" James did not know how he was supposed to refer to Bellatrix, but he figured it was better to overdo it at this point.

Professor McGonagall seemed to soften somewhat and a quirk that might be a smile appeared on her thin face. James suspected that she was rather used to Bellatrix handing out unwarranted detentions. "Ah, you have run afoul of the dreaded Miss Black, have you? I hope you will be more careful in future."

"I will, ma'am" James assured her, widening his hazel eyes in a way that he had found to be very effective.

"You will do your detention with me tomorrow night. Meanwhile, I will take you to your common room." She walked swiftly towards a staircase; James, who was rather short, struggled to keep up.

She led him into the common room and pointed him towards the correct staircase. Climbing to the top, he found a pleasant room with four large beds with red hangings. Remus waved him over to the bed next to his own; James found that his trunk was already in the room.

Looking around, he noticed that Sirius was his other neighbor. He was lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling without saying a word.

"I'm supposed to go talk to Dumbledore." Remus's soft voice broke the silence. "See you later."

He walked out quickly, seeming anxious to avoid questions. Peter, who had been furiously unpacking, finally pulled out his towel and went into the bathroom. James was left alone with Sirius, who still had not moved. It was strange; Sirius had been so loud and excited earlier, though a little proud. What had happened?

"Are you OK?" he asked. He still was not sure if he liked Sirius, but he could not bear to see him in pain.

Sirius shot upright and looked straight at James, tears shining in his lustrous eyes. James was shocked, but sat down on Sirius's bed, waiting for an explanation.

"Bellatrix is right." Sirius's voice was low and full of dread. "I've betrayed my family, and I'm going to be in such trouble."

"You might be in trouble, but I meant what I said earlier, I don't think you've done anything wrong."

Sirius raised his thick eyebrows. "You don't know much about pureblooded ideals, do you? This really is a big deal. I'm the heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. I was supposed to be in Slytherin and live up to my family name and make my parents proud, not be Sorted into a house of reckless blood traitors."

James felt his temper rising, but tried to stay calm. "Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe you'll find out that Gryffindor isn't so bad, and that all these things aren't as important as you think." Sirius appeared to have relaxed a bit, and James decided to continue in this tone. He somehow felt that this boy was worth reaching out to, even if everything he said insulted James to the core.

"I know what it's like to look up to your family. My dad is awesome and I want to be just like him, and I really wanted to be in Gryffindor because he was. But I also wanted to be in Gryffindor because I think it's an awesome house and I want to be brave and to stand up for what is right, and I would do that even if my dad didn't want me to. Maybe you can make your family proud and be a pureblood and still do other things."

Sirius looked confused, but the anger and fear on his face seemed to be subsiding. "You're already pretty brave. I don't know many people who aren't scared of Bella."

"Bella?" James laughed. "You mean your cousin? It's hard to believe she has a mother, let alone a nickname."

Sirius grinned. "You just saw her at her worst. She's actually great fun, and she really is a very talented witch. She just gets a little bossy, but she's actually incredible. I'll introduce you later and you'll see."

"What's your family like?" James felt that maybe it was time to try see the good side of the Blacks. "Do you have brothers and sisters, or just your cousins?"

"I have a little brother, Regulus, but he's just a baby. I mostly play with my older cousins when they're not at Hogwarts. You met Bella, and Meda was behind her – she's in fifth year. Cissy's in third year, but she's not much fun – she's such a girl."

"Sound cool. I'm sorry for laughing at you earlier, by the way – I didn't mean to upset you, but it was really funny."

"I guess it was. Do you wish you had siblings and cousins?"

"How did you know I am an only child?"

Sirius snorted incredulously. "You don't have much pureblood pride, do you? My mother made me study the pedigree of every prominent pureblood family in Britain, and many outside. So I know that you are the last surviving descendent of the Potter line."

James flinched, his dislike for Sirius reigniting. "You sound just like Bellatrix. My parents are proud of our family background, but my father says that the best sign of nobility is to show respect to everyone."

A thoughtful expression crossed Sirius's face. "That's an interesting idea. This is all getting a bit solemn, though – can we talk about something else?"

"Sure. Do you know any cool tricks?"

As simply as that, the boys discovered their shared passion. They were both huge jokers and loved pulling crazy pranks. Peter returned from the bathroom and tried to join in the conversation, but he had no stories of his own to share, so he fell asleep listening to them. After what seemed like an age, Remus returned. His eyes widened to see the animated discussion between the two boys – he had been sure that they hated each other earlier.

"Hi, welcome back!" James turned back to Remus, anxious to not give the impression that he had replaced him with Sirius. "How was Dumbledore? What did he want? Don't worry if you've got detention – I beat you to it."

Remus smiled and threw a pillow at James's head. "No, he just wanted to make sure that I was not ill."

James grabbed the pillow and added it to his own pile. "That was nice of him. What's wrong with you?"

"That's a little blunt, James." Remus said drily. "Let's leave that heart-to-heart for another night, OK?"

Tired, James rolled over and blew out his candle. "OK. Good night, guys." Within seconds he was snoring softly.

Sirius and Remus regarded each other warily. Remus had not witnessed Sirius's softer side earlier, while Sirius still had seen nothing in Remus that compared to James's courage. Each wondered why James had befriended the other.

The impasse remained for a few minutes. Finally the boys shrugged and climbed into bed. Remus fell asleep almost instantly, but Sirius remained awake, staring at the ceiling. The wind whistled softly through the window, and for some reason the sound awakened the echo of his own mind: "Toujours Pur". He blushed deeply, grateful for the dark. What had he been thinking? He could not be in Gryffindor! James, no, _Potter_ was a Muggle-lover, a natural enemy of the house that he would rule one day. He would not allow such people to charm him – he would rise above this weakness. Tomorrow he would set things right.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Remus was the first one up. He looked around and smiled to himself, filled with pleasure at the thought that he had finally made it to Hogwarts. He had never imagined that his life would take such a dramatic turn for the better; he had expected to spend many more years holed up in the cottage in the secluded forest. If he was careful, all of this was his for the keeping. The Headmaster had been quite clear on his rules and expectations, but he had welcomed Remus warmly and had assured him that he should consider Hogwarts as his home.

He would need to be the first to wake every morning, no small task considering his constant exhaustion. He would have to order an alarm clock; a quiet one – he had no wish to get on Sirius's bad side. He went to the bathroom and did what was necessary. When he returned, James was already awake but seemed disinclined to get up yet; he lounged on the bed, bleary-eyed.

"Good morning, James. Did you sleep well?" He knew that his way of talking was too formal, but speaking like the other boys made him uncomfortable.

"Like a log – you? Wow, this is awesome! You think we'll have flying lessons today?" James had thrown off the last of his sleepiness and had bounced out of bed in inimitable James-style. "It's a bugger that we can't have our own brooms, but I'll probably get a new one once I've learned to fly properly – my dad can't fly for toffee and my mum is always afraid I'll fall, so I've never had a really good broom."

Remus allowed his friend's excited babbling to flow around him; he had already recognized it as James's default state when he had nothing else interesting to do. He found it amusing, although he wondered at the sheltered life James must have led to be able to talk in such a carefree, self-assured manner.

"What time is it?"

"It's half past seven. Breakfast is at eight; maybe we should get going." Remus himself was quite ready, but he was worried that James would be insulted if he phrased his comment more directly.

James's messy head emerged from his T-shirt and jerked towards Sirius and Peter. "Should we wake them?"

Remus shrugged. He had still not warmed to either boy. James went over and poked Sirius in the shoulder. He did not expect the response – Sirius leapt nimbly from under the heavy covers and tackled him to the floor. He showed no signs of sleepiness – his grey eyes were narrowed and grim, and he already had his wand in his hand, pressed to James's neck.

"Don't touch me." His voice was a low growl.

"Bloody hell, Black, what's your problem?" James forced his voice to remain calm, although he was actually terrified. He wondered if his attacker would really kill him. He doubted that any boy of eleven knew that much magic, but who knew? What kind of nut slept with his wand in his hand anyway?

The hard lines in Sirius's face relaxed infinitesimally. "Let that be a lesson to you, Potter. Don't touch me. I won't be so gentle next time."

James regained his natural good reflexes and flipped Sirius over on his back. "You got it. I just thought you might want to come for breakfast."

"I don't. Hurry along now – you wouldn't want to be late." Sirius had climbed back onto his bed.

James looked over at Remus, who had entirely failed to wake Peter – the fat boy had a most irritating snore which James resolved to have cured as soon as possible. They shrugged at each other and gathered their things together for classes.

* * *

When they descended, James looked around nervously for Sirius's scary older cousin. Not spotting her, he sank down at the Gryffindor table in relief. He happily tucked into breakfast.

His mouth was full of scrambled egg when he received a tap on his shoulder. He spun around to see Bellatrix standing behind him. He stood up quickly and chirped, "Good morning, Miss Black."

To his shock, she laughed. "Technically right, but I don't think I am who you think." Looking more closely, he realized that this was actually Bellatrix's younger sister, whose name he had forgotten. The difference was practically unnoticeable unless they were together – this girl's hair was dark-brown, only a shade away from black; her eyes were gray with chocolate specks. But looking at her face he wondered how he had confused them. He could not imagine that Bellatrix's face had ever held such a warm, generous expression.

"I'm Andromeda, and I just wanted to apologize for Bella's behavior last night. She was really upset – we all are, but she should not have spoken like that or given you detention."

James was still smarting at how easily he had been tackled by Sirius and was not inclined to be pleasant to his cousin.

"Hey, don't worry. I won't make the mistake of sticking up for Sirius again – I'm not sure he's worth it. But you can cancel my detention if it'll ease your bigoted conscience." He glanced scornfully at her prefect badge. To his chagrin, she did not respond to his tone, but sat on the bench beside him.

"First of all, I'm Bellatrix's sister – do you really think I'm going to be intimidated by _you_?" She smiled to take the sting out of her words. "Second, I can't take away your detention – prefects aren't allowed to undermine each others' authority. I know it's unfair, but trust me, it's better that way. I will ask Minnie to go easy on you, though." She nodded in Professor McGonagall's direction; James smiled involuntarily at the familiar nickname.

"I know who you are and why you hold the beliefs that you do. I'm OK with that; you may even be right. But in our family blood is everything. Bella is upset because she feels that Sirius might be influenced by Gryffindor and lose connection with our family ideals. She may be overreacting, but she really does feel passionate about it, and my advice to you is not to get in her way. You won't win."

"So I should just let her go around torturing Muggle-borns and bullying people?"

"Of course not. I'm not saying that you can't stand up to her in general – I do quite often and I'm still around. But family is different. For the Blacks it is everything. So I'm just saying that you can fight with Bella all you want if you're tough enough, but don't get between her and Sirius. Trust me, he can fight his own battles. Being Sirius's friend will be enough adventure for anyone – you don't need to be Bellatrix's enemy as well."

"I'm not Sirius's friend. He tried to kill me this morning."

"Oh, you tried to wake him up?" Andromeda's smile was just like her cousin's, unexpected warmth hidden in a face that seemed carved from stone. "Not generally a good idea – Siri is rather cranky in the morning. I'd suggest a bucket of cold water in future." Remus laughed.

The older girl stood up, dusting off her neatly pressed robes. Her eyes were briefly filled with sadness, but she blinked away the look quickly. When she spoke again her voice was softer and filled with a strange urgency. "He _is_ worth it. He's silly and impulsive, but I promise you that he's worthwhile getting to know. Please give him a chance – this won't be easy for him."

She turned away from James; her elegant efficiency returned leaving no trace of the passion she had shown a moment earlier. She flicked her wand at Remus's collar, straightening and cleaning it. He smiled gratefully at her, and she walked away.

Breakfast had finished and the plates were dissolving from the tables when Sirius entered, making as much noise as possible – Peter was still nowhere to be seen. He walked up to the Slytherin table and sat down with a thump next to Andromeda, who appeared to be engrossed in reading and did not look up. He knocked the book out of her hands and onto the floor.

"I'm hungry, Meda!" he yelled. "Where was my breakfast?"

There was a fair bit of laughter around the emptying hall over his petulant tone. James ignored Remus's quiet suggestions that they leave and moved closer.

Meda seemed quite unfazed by her cousin's tantrum. Her response was too low to make out, although she seemed sympathetic. She waved her wand and produced a packet of biscuits, but Sirius turned on his heels and walked away, presumably back to the dormitory to get his bag.

Remus slipped past James and picked up Andromeda's book from the floor. She gave him a motherly pat on the head and left, supreme in her status as an upper student. The boys shook their heads, wondering at their dorm-mate.

* * *

The boys were pointed in the right direction of their first Charms class by a prefect and quickly took the best seats at the back. Sirius slouched in at the last minute. The only seat left was right in the front, but Sirius ignored it and headed to the full back row. He turned to a large hulk of a boy and introduced himself, then pointed to the empty desk at the front. The boy, who James recognized as a Hufflepuff, got up quickly and relocated, clearly in deference to Sirius.

'What the hell did you just do?"

Sirius's eyes widened in mock innocence. "Language, my dear James. I don't think you've said one civil sentence today."

"You can't just tell people to move so that you can get a good seat! It's just not right."

"I didn't ask Richard to do anything. I never said a word."

James started to stand and was pulled back down by Remus, who was surprisingly strong for his size. Sirius sat back in his chair and smirked. The scene was interrupted by the start of the class.

After class, Remus went up to the huge boy who was now sitting in the front and asked his name. He was Richard Goyle, and he was indeed a Hufflepuff, though from a Slytherin family. Remus settled into questioning him gently, but James could not wait.

"Why did you move for Sirius?"

Richard looked at him like he had gone completely mad. "He's a Black." The explanation had a monotone to it that suggested that it had been ingrained at an early age.

"But you were sitting there!" Both boys were somewhat aghast at Richard's complacence.

"Look, I don't know who Blondie is, but I know you, Potter. I would think you would understand better. The Blacks employs everyone in my family. They have done so for hundreds of years. If I ever want a job, they're my only hope. So forgive me if I'm not too keen on pissing off my future boss on our first day of school."

James suddenly felt very lost and small. He did not understand what to do in this new place, where he was known as "Potter" by almost everyone and expected to live up to whatever the name demanded. He felt a flush of resentment towards his father for not better preparing him for this. He envied Sirius for his existential certainty. It seemed that Sirius understood exactly how to be a Black, even if he seemed to be failing to live up to it at the moment. James had no idea how to be a Potter, only how to be James.

"We are sorry for questioning you like that." Remus's face betrayed no emotion as he apologized to Richard. "We just wanted to understand. Thank you for explaining." He dragged James away.

The same scene repeated itself throughout the day, with different students ceding their places to Sirius obsequiously. James eventually took his mind off his odd roommate and focused on the classes. He found them fascinating, particularly Transfiguration. His wand settled comfortably in his hand, and he felt the magic flowing through him.

They got to lunch and settled in their seats. Peter sat down opposite. He had overslept and had received detention from Professor Florin for missing Herbology; he had got out of trouble from Charms by concocting some bizarre excuse involving being swallowed by a staircase. Professor Flitwick had not believed him, but let him off for his originality. But he seemed fairly unconcerned by his unfortunate start to things and happily worked through his helping of lunch.

Sirius entered with his usual flair, but made his way over the Slytherin table. This appeared to cause some upset, and various older boys told him to shove off to his own house. Everyone seemed to know exactly who he was. He calmly ignored them and took a plate.

A large boy, probably fourth year, grabbed Sirius by the collar and pushed him from the bench to the floor. "Hey, Gryffindor, you don't belong here!"

There was a flash of light, and the boy landed on his back, his wand skidding under the table. Bellatrix advanced towards him like a lioness on the hunt. His eyes widened and he gulped.

When Bellatrix spoke, it was in an icy whisper, but the Hall had fallen silent and James could hear everything. "So, McNair, you think you can lay your dirty hands on a Black?" Her wand poked him between the eyes.

"I thought … you said yesterday…" he spluttered.

"Yesterday was an unfortunate anomaly, and my cousin appears to be attempting to rectify it. Will you deny him the company he deserves because of a stupid hat? In any case, I think that I am a little more entitled to criticize the heir of the House of Black than you are. Would you not agree?" Her voice dropped lower, and everyone strained to hear.

"Yes, Bellatrix." McNair had still not even tried to get up.

"I am glad we agree. It would be most unfortunate if we did not. Now get up and apologize."

McNair muttered a quick apology and made a run, presumably for the bathroom judging from the dark patch on his robes, followed by sounds of laughter. Bellatrix took his place next to Sirius and patted him affectionately. There were a few quiet moments in which everyone appeared to decide simultaneously that snickering at Sirius was a dangerous move, and so lunch continued as normal.

* * *

The class after lunch was Potions – luckily Remus had an unerring sense of direction and easily led James to the depths of the dungeons. When they arrived James spent a few moments idly wondering how Professor Slughorn had got through the door – the man was so enormous he kept blinking to check that his own eyes had not been exaggerating. When the class was complete he took role call with a booming voice. At first the class was surprised at this, as no other teacher bothered with role call, but it soon became apparent that Slughorn wanted to know exactly who everyone was. Realizing that most of the class could be wasted in this way, everyone slowed down and gave themselves long introductions.

Sirius, however, did not bother. He said his name and sat back with his arms folded, a challenging light in his eyes. He was not disappointed; Slughorn asked after his parents, uncles, aunts and grandmother, and strongly advised him to emulate the academic achievements of his cousins. When Sirius mentioned that he had a younger brother, the fat teacher sighed as if he had just finished a particularly excellent cake, closed his eyes rapturously and waited a few seconds before continuing, as if savoring the moment.

Slughorn clearly had a gift for identifying people, as he guessed several people's names. Peter barely opened his mouth before he said his name and waved at James to continue. He was impressed with James, if less than with Sirius – James shrank under the silly attention.

Eventually the day came to an end. James was both exhausted and exhilarated. He had met most of his year and seemed quite popular already. Remus was also well-liked by association.

After supper, James approached Professor McGonagall. She looked at him sharply and told him to wait at her office. She arrived five minutes later.

"So, Potter, I have had a request from Miss Black that I reduce your punishment."

James nodded. "Anna, right? Yeah, she said that she would ask you to go easy on me."

McGonagall rolled her eyes. "It's Andromeda, actually. I really would advise you to remember it – Meda has a temper of her own and I would think that Bellatrix's animosity would be enough, even for you.

"In any case, I will give you a short task, but consider this a warning, Potter. I suspect you will be a bit of a troublemaker – your mother certainly was. You seem rather bright – behave yourself and don't waste your school career."

She set James to sorting papers into a file. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. McGonagall flicked her wand at the door, which opened to reveal Sirius. He shot James a look and sat at the desk.

"I'm here to request a transfer to Slytherin." His voice was perhaps a little too confident, indicating a little uncertainty.

"I'm sorry, Black, but that is not possible. We don't allow house transfers – never have."

"I really would like to sort out this whole mess without involving my mother. She was most upset to hear I had been misplaced, but she assured me that she was happy to let this be forgotten as long as it was rectified quickly."

"Nice vocabulary, Black, but you will find that threats do not work particularly well at Hogwarts. You are not the first of your family to come here – I was at school with your mother, in fact."

Sirius appeared not to realize that he was sinking. "You don't understand. My family will stop at nothing to fix this."

"I understood well enough. Now listen carefully. You don't seem a bad sort. Arrogant as all hell, but that is to be expected. I don't want to lose my temper with you.

"The Sorting Hat is run by ancient magic. The wisdom of the school founders was distilled into it. Many times the decisions it makes are not clear. Students feel that they are Sorted against their nature. But I have yet to see a student who is honest with himself and still fails to see his house qualities in himself in time. I suggested that you accept the challenge to find your own hidden depths. A talk with Andromeda would not go amiss at this point. But accept it you must, for I will not transfer you."

Sirius growled with anger and frustration, but was not reckless enough to push the point.

"Do I still have to spend time with Gryffindors?"

"You will remain in your dormitory, common room and classes. I do not usually force where people sit at meals, but unless I see some genuine house spirit and attempts at interaction, I will make rules for you. All I ask is that you give Gryffindor a chance."

"Yeah, talking of meals … Professor Slughorn allowed our family's house-elves access to Slytherin so they could bring us breakfast in bed, so my cousins never have to get up early or stuff. Can you do the same for me?"

"I'm sorry, but no. It is not a practice of which I approve, and I will run my own house as I see fit. I doubt this bloated sense of entitlement you so freely sport will make you friends. Try to get by on your own terms." McGonagall's eyes were tightening behind her glasses – she wanted to be fair to the boy but his attitude was hugely frustrating.

Sirius rose to storm out of the room, but the door closed in his face.

"One thing I _know_ you have learned at home is respect for authority. You will ask permission to leave, and you will address me appropriately. Try again."

Sirius gritted his teeth, but gave a convincing impression of civility. "May I have leave to depart, ma'am?" The young witch nodded curtly and he stormed out.

McGonagall turned to James. "Stop with the papers. Go after him. That will be your detention – it will do everyone good and probably be sufficient punishment for you."

James stared, and McGonagall laughed. "I don't mean to beat him up! Reach out to him, talk to him, be a friend. Go!"


	4. Chapter 4

James caught up with Sirius in the next corridor. Unsure of how to start, he just greeted him. Sirius whirled around in a fury.

"What do you want? Come to laugh again?"

"You seem upset – I was wondering if you wanted to go flying to work it off." He received a flat stare in response.

"Why?"

"I always fly when I want to feel better. It clears my head. I think it's after hours, but we could sneak into the broom storage and take."

Sirius's face lit up at the idea of breaking the rules and having such a thrilling adventure. "OK, let's go."

The boys crept down the stairs, hiding in the shadows. The shed was locked, but both boys knew of the Alohomora spell as a mischief-maker's first tool. They quickly scanned the room and picked the first decent brooms they could find. They launched into the air just as Hagrid's lamp appeared. Their laughs rang loud over the grounds as they soared above the huge man, knowing that he was too large to follow.

James and Sirius swooped around each other, reveling in the freedom and wind in their hair. Sirius had had more practice, but James had a natural grace in the air that gave him the advantage.

They flew for about half an hour until Sirius aimed for the ground, tired. James was still enjoying himself, but he floated down as well, smirking slightly at his perceived victory. As they regained their breath, they started laughing again, but abruptly stopped when they each felt one of Hagrid's hands on their collars.

"Get off me!" Sirius demanded, twisting furiously under the firm grip. James, who was several inches shorter, had been lifted right off his feet and was pedaling comically in the air.

"Right, you two are going straight to Professor McGonagall. It's after hours, and you can't use school brooms without permission." He effortlessly tucked a boy under each arm and made his way back to the castle.

James groaned – he could not believe that he was in trouble again, and it was because of bloody Sirius again. It was bloody embarrassing to be dragged around like a backpack.

Hagrid arrived at the door and pounded on it. It opened, revealing a rather a sour-faced McGonagall, who raised an eyebrow at the sight of the two boys, who had just been dropped rather painfully on the floor.

"They sneaked out and stole brooms from the shed. They're yours, right?" Amazingly, the giant man seemed deeply in awe of the scrawny witch.

"Yes, they are mine, Hagrid. Come in, boys."

James and Sirius dusted off their clothes and entered, sitting in the chairs they were indicated.

"Well, can you explain yourselves?"

James felt the flame of injustice burning in his chest. He had just wanted to help Sirius feel better, as McGonagall had told him to do. Was he really going to be punished for this? But he could not stand up for himself – it would offend Sirius no end to hear that he had been patronizing him.

"It was my idea" he admitted flippantly.

"Really, Potter? I would never have guessed – you seem so reserved and shy" she answered wryly.

Sirius remained silent, and James glared at him.

"None of this is really very interesting to me. What does interest me is why you felt that the rules, which were clearly explained earlier, do not apply to you. You are forbidden to go outside after dark. You are forbidden to steal brooms from the school store. What I want is for you to explain what you were thinking."

Sirius grinned, his spirit returning. "Well, it was fun …"

"I see. Potter, wait outside while I talk to Black. I will be assigning your punishments separately.

James loitered outside, feeling a bit sulky. Sirius was only in there for a couple of minutes. When he emerged, he kept walking. "Sorry, she told me to go sharpish. See you later."

James entered the office for the third time that night.

"Well, James, this is becoming a bit of a habit."

"You told me to cheer him up!"

"I did not really mean bonding over illegal activity, Potter. Are you honestly expecting me to overlook this?"

To James's horror, he felt tears welling up. He stubbornly looked to the side, willing the tears to disappear. McGonagall's face softened slightly.

"Look, I realize that this seems unfair. Andromeda told me that you were originally given detention because you stuck up for Black, and now you think he has landed you here again. That is not true – your impulsiveness is the problem, though I admire the compassion behind it. I can't just let this go just because you meant well."

"So now what? I get detention again and I still have to be nice to the brat? Did he even get detention?"

"Of course he did, Potter, don't act like a baby. Now listen.

"I saw the two of you flying. You were having fun, don't deny it. It hardly looked like an effort to be nice to him. You are two of a kind – I certainly doubt that this is the last time I will have you both in my office. So I'm not telling you to suck up to him, but don't walk away from him just because you are upset.

"I have to give you detention because what you did was wrong. Don't gape – it was against the rules and I cannot tolerate it. Now it's your turn – what can I do to make it up to you? You have been wronged – what will make you feel better?"

"Get out of jail free card?" James suggested cheekily. He was vaguely impressed with McGonagall for even offering a boon.

"Not a chance."

"Move Sirius to Slytherin?"

"Absolutely not. I have a good idea – would you like to know where the kitchens are? I don't think that any of the students know."

James nodded, his eyes gleaming. The possibilities were endless.

McGonagall explained where the passage was. "Just have patience with Black. He is irritating, but he is in Gryffindor for a reason, and you might be the right person to find out."

When James returned to the dorm, only Remus was there. "What happened?" he asked.

"Well, sort of a long story. I was in detention, and then Sirius came in and was all upset because he's in Gryffindor and McGonagall wouldn't move him and he was even more upset and she told me to cheer him up and we went flying and Hagrid caught us and I got detention again and now I know the way to the kitchens!" James ran out of breath abruptly.

"Right, I think I got all of that. Did you really get detention again?"

"Aw, it was totally worth it. I love flying. Besides, who cares? The kitchen! Think of what we can do."

"Wow, James. I never realized you were so much trouble." Remus's comment was softened by his smile.

"Oh, come on, don't be such an old man. It'll be super-fun. Can you believe he asked to be moved?"

"Well, he does seem unhappy. He was complaining earlier that the common room is too hot and dry, and that the red hurts his eyes. Besides, he's a Black."

"I guess. Anyway, I'm tired of getting into trouble because of him. We're going to have some real fun!"

Remus looked slightly worried at his friend's look of determination and wondered what he had gotten into by befriending him, but he remembered James's kindness on the train and dismissed the thought. He was too serious and had to learn to have fun. "OK, but let's stay away from Sirius."

"Great! OK, we won't have an adventure tomorrow – I think I should lay low for one night. But then the madness begins."

Sirius returned, tailed by Peter. He ignored Remus as usual, turning to James. "Hey, Potter, can we talk?"

"I don't think so, Black. I prefer to make my own trouble, if you don't mind. Go away."

"Look, I'm sorry." He spat out the word as if he were unused to it. "I can't have McGonagall write to my parents – they're furious as it is. Yours are liberals – they won't mind. So I thought it would be best if you took most of the flack. It's not as if it worked anyway – I'm still in detention."

"You know, you make me sick, Black. You brag about your family all the time, but there's nothing noble about shifting the blame. My dad will care about me getting into trouble, but he'd prefer that to me being a liar."

"It was your idea, you prat."

"So? You went along with it. You had fun. But you're too good for Gryffindor, too good for the rest of us."

"I'm not supposed to be here, and I'm going to make life for you so bad here that you will be begging McGonagall to transfer me yourself. You will be moving my trunk to Slytherin and thanking me for leaving, you blood traitor."

The two boys, who had playfully chased each other through the air not an hour before, raised their fists. Remus got between them. "That is enough."

"Oh, look at mini-prefect half-blood, how cute" Sirius sneered. "Bellatrix told me who you are. The nerve of you, passing yourself off as coming from a real family. Nobody has ever heard of you – you could have any filth in your line. But don't worry, Potter the blood traitor is too noble to care."

James lost it completely and attacked. He had now gotten used to Sirius and figured out how to overcome his height disadvantage, and he had the larger boy pinned to the ground within minutes.

"Watch your language, Black. I'm getting really tired of you."

Sirius struggled to tip off James, but he felt pressure on his shoulders – Remus was pressing down with a strong grip.

"What is your problem? What makes you think you're so great? All you've done since you got here is show how much better you are. But you're not – you're a lying, lazy bully. Look, even your friend won't defend you." He indicated Peter, who was cringing in the doorway.

Sirius looked at James in confusion. "But I _am_ better."

"How? Why are you worthwhile? Why would I want to associate with you? Explain, please"

"I'm a Black. I don't understand what you're asking."

"Listen, I don't care about your family. All I've seen is that one of your cousins is a flaming lunatic and another is a bit stuck up but mostly OK, but I'm not interested in making friends with senior girls, so I couldn't care less. What might interest me would be if you were smart or fun or a good friend, but every time I see something good in you, you mess it up again.

"So I'm leaving it for now. If you want friends here, prove it to me. If not, go and hang on your cousin's coattails for all I care. Now apologize to Remus and then shut up until you have something interesting to say."

He gave Sirius one last shove and got up. He stepped back quickly, anticipating another attack. But Sirius just sat there, looking completely lost.

"I'm waiting, Black. You will damn well apologize or you will regret it. I don't care if I spend the rest of the year in detention."

"Sorry, Lupin" Sirius muttered. He got to his feet and ran out the door.

Remus turned to James in exasperation. "Is it going to be like this all the time?"

"Maybe" James answered. "Either he'll shape up or he'll be so much trouble that he'll be moved to Slytherin. Don't really see the downside."

A soft thud interrupted him. Peter had fainted. In the process he had struck the edge of the doorway and was now bleeding profusely.

Sighing, the two boys hoisted Peter up and dragged him to the hospital wing. When they returned, Sirius was in bed, though they were sure he was pretending to sleep.

The next day, James was woken by Remus yet again. Peter had spent the night in the hospital wing. The two boys looked at each other warily, wondering what to do with Sirius. Eventually, James's eyes lit up with mischief; he whispered his instructions to Remus and told him to wait at the door, ready to leave.

Remus cast a Chilling Charm. His mastery was not perfect and it would only last a couple of minutes. But that was enough. Holding his bag, James crept silently over to Sirius's bed and pulled off the covers in a flash. He bolted for the door as Sirius howled from the sudden contact of the freezing air.

Ten minutes later, Sirius appeared at breakfast. He looked torn for a moment, his eyes flashing between the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. He seemed to decide, and made his way over to Slytherin.

Sirius ignored his housemates the whole morning. At lunch his plan became apparent. He made his way over to Slytherin, but did not remain there – he simply spoke to someone and returned to sit next to James, though he did not greet him.

A few minutes later, James felt a prickling at the back of his neck. He glanced up – as he had suspected, Bellatrix loomed above him.

"Detention to Potter and Lupin for bullying." She gave a cruel smile. "Remember, don't mess with a Black. Treat your betters with some respect."

Remus and James looked at Sirius, shocked. They had not believed him to be such a coward.

Sirius smirked. "Don't start something you can't finish."

"But it was a joke!"

"Yes, and it was pretty funny. But that will teach you to speak to me as you did last night. That was a warning, Potter. Bella will curse you herself next time."

James was left speechless, but managed to calm himself. He did not need more detention.

Looking up, he saw Bellatrix returning, a determined look glinting in her eyes. But she ignored him this time; she grabbed hold of Sirius's long hair and pulled it back so that his head tilted upwards. Impressively, he did not make a sound.

"What were you thinking? You little idiot!"

James realized with a start that he had again mistaken Meda for her sister. But it was forgivable – her eyes were alight with the anger that he already learned to associate with Bellatrix.

"Detention, Sirius. See McGonagall at dinner." Meda released his hair and crossed her arms.

"Why, Meda? What did I do?"

"I will not have you ruin your time at Hogwarts by running to Bella every time you throw a tantrum. You know you can deal with things yourself – don't be such a coward. If I find out again that you are having Bella hand out detentions to people you don't like, I will assign you enough punishment to keep you busy until your OWLs."

"You can't do this!"

"Of course I can. You started this. Now you will finish it or I will finish you."

"Didn't Bella tell you what they did?"

"A bit rich coming from you. Would you like them to know how you released a Boggart at the Malfoys' ball?"

James gaped at Sirius – as angry as he was, he was half-filled with admiration at the ingenuity of the prank. The other half was marveling at Meda – she was truly as scary as her sister when she wanted to be.

"As for you two, try to behave yourselves. My cousin has far more tricks up his sleeve. And you, Scruffy, fix that collar already." She flicked her wand at Remus and the collar straightened. "If I have to fix it once more, I will glue it to your neck." Her sharp words did not conceal the good humour in her eyes.

She cuffed Sirius on the back of his head and then gave him a hug – he squirmed resentfully. "I'm sorry, Siri, but you'll thank me one day. Enough, all of you. Stop this nonsense."

James turned back to Sirius. "Are you happy?"

Sirius looked shocked. "I don't understand."

"It's quite simply – are you a bit thick? You reported us to Bellatrix, so Meda decided to dole out a matching punishment. I bet she can even come up with a rule that you broke, other than being a spiteful bastard. So, Sirius, what's your next move?"

Sirius had the decency to blush. "Not sure. I didn't really expect this – Meda normally spoils me rotten."

"I am sure she does." Remus's soft voice broke through with a force that James's exuberant chatter lost by its frequency. "She loves you. She wants you to be happy, and you'll never be happy if you go around acting like you do now."

"Come on, Peter." Sirius dragged his friend away, his voice breaking slightly.

"You think there's hope for him?"

"There is hope for everyone, James. Nobody is so twisted or dangerous that they are beyond redemption."

"I guess. I don't think he's actually that bad – just needs to drop the attitude. We might be close to breaking him. So, what are we doing to him tomorrow?"

"James, we just got detention for pranking Black. Shouldn't we calm down for a bit?"

"Why? Either he learns a sense of humour or he cracks and moves to Slytherin. Do you have a better plan?"

"Surely it would be better to talk to him …" Remus trailed off – he sounded silly even to himself.

"I've talked to him. It doesn't help – he's nice for a few minutes and then he gets all worked up about this House of Black crap. He needs to see that we're not afraid of him. Then he can decide."

Remus nodded slowly. James was good at reading people; he was probably right. In any case, he was enjoying the chance to show off some of the cooler spells he knew. He enjoyed James's avid admiration of his talents, though he could see that the smaller boy would overtake him if he applied himself properly. He reminded himself that there was a reasonable chance that all his good fortune would be short-lived – he should take full advantage of it while he could. Guiltily, he remembered all the earnest promises he had made to Dumbledore. But that was different – he was not putting Sirius in any real danger, just having some fun. He would never dream of allowing himself to hurt him, or anyone else. He briefly imagined James's carefree face scarred and disfigured, and winced. He shook the thought aside and began discussing plans for tomorrow's adventure.


End file.
